This guide covers every order type, common patterns, and how to track order execution.
Market orders
Execute immediately at the current market price.
Buy by quantity
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"symbol": "AAPL",
"side": "buy",
"type": "market",
"time_in_force": "day",
"qty": "10"
}'
Buy by dollar amount (fractional shares)
Invest exactly $1,000 in GOOGL — Bluum calculates the fractional quantity:
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"symbol": "GOOGL",
"side": "buy",
"type": "market",
"time_in_force": "day",
"notional": "1000.00"
}'
notional is only available for market orders on fractionable assets.
Limit orders
Execute only at the specified price or better:
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"symbol": "MSFT",
"side": "buy",
"type": "limit",
"time_in_force": "gtc",
"qty": "5",
"limit_price": "350.00",
"client_order_id": "my-limit-001"
}'
Stop orders
Trigger a market order when the price reaches the stop level:
# Stop-loss: sell if AAPL drops to $170
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"symbol": "AAPL",
"side": "sell",
"type": "stop",
"time_in_force": "gtc",
"qty": "10",
"stop_price": "170.00"
}'
Trailing stop orders
The stop price follows the market price by a fixed offset:
# Sell if AAPL drops 5% from its peak
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"symbol": "AAPL",
"side": "sell",
"type": "trailing_stop",
"time_in_force": "gtc",
"qty": "10",
"trail_percent": "5.0"
}'
Tracking order status
# Get a specific order
curl -X GET "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders/$ORDER_ID" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH"
# List all orders
curl -X GET "$BASE_URL/trading/accounts/$ACCOUNT_ID/orders" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH"
Status progression
accepted → filled
│ │
│ partially_filled
│
canceled / rejected
order.*) for real-time notifications:
curl -X POST "$BASE_URL/webhooks" \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"url": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/bluum",
"events": ["order.*"]
}'
Order type comparison
| Type | Use case | Price guarantee | Fill guarantee |
|---|
market | Quick execution | No | High (during market hours) |
limit | Price control | Yes (or better) | No (may not fill) |
stop | Loss protection | No | No (triggers at stop price) |
trailing_stop | Dynamic stop | No | No (adjusts with market) |
Common errors
| Error | Cause | Resolution |
|---|
| Insufficient funds | Wallet balance too low | Deposit more funds |
| Market closed | Order placed outside trading hours | Use gtc or wait for market open |
| Invalid symbol | Asset not found or not tradable | Verify symbol with /assets/search |
| Invalid quantity | Zero, negative, or exceeds position size (for sells) | Check quantity and position |
